Spur-Thigh Tortoise Information

Spur-Thigh Tortoises

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General Info

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The African Spur-Thigh Tortoise (often called the Sulcata Tortoise) is native to the Southern Sahara desert region. It can reach 3-4 feet in length, and weigh up to 240 pounds. Sulcatas can live between 70 - 150 years.

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The Sulcata Tortoise is uniformly a brown- to golden-yellow color. It has well-defined spurs on its legs, which gives the Sulcata its nickname. Growth rings will appear on each scute (shell section) on the carapace but they should be shallow, not peaked. A Sulcata's skin is thick; this may help it retain fluid during dry periods.

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Don't let pet stores fool you into thinking that this tortoise will grow to the size of its environment like a freshwater turtle. This tortoise is going to get BIG! These are the tortoises that children are allowed to ride at zoos and Busch Gardens (as pictured above). So plan ahead.
 

Housing Requirements

Habitat - For Hatchlings

The easiest way to house a tortoise is to buy an inexpensive plastic kiddie pool from Walmart. Bigger is ALWAYS better. If properly cleaned and maintained, that kiddie pool will comfortably house your tortoise for at least 3-4 years.

 

Tortoises are ground-huggers, so keeping your substrate clean is essential. Since their primary diet includes grass and other natural plants, the most practical substrate is a layer of dirt covered by large sod sections from Lowes or Home Depot (since they don't use fertilizers or pesticides on their grass sections). Simply water the grass so it roots into the bottom layer of dirt, and you'll have a constant food source so your tortoise can graze. Be careful not to overwater the grass, though, or the grass will die. If you're able to put the kiddie pool out on your enclosed patio, you might consider drilling some small holes in the bottom to let excess water escape.

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Shredded coconut bark is also an easy substrate to maintain, and will not turn moldy when moistened.  It can be mixed with your layer of dirt for extra drainage, or used in one section of the habitat so your tortoise can indulge its natural instincts to burrow.

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Provide a water bowl shallow enough for it to step in and out, and change its water daily. Tortoises will often defecate in the water to hide their scent from predators, so make sure to keep it clean for drinking.

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UVA and UVB are a must for proper growth. To provide proper heat and UV, suspend a high-quality bulb above the habitat. (We love the ZooMed PowerSun bulbs, which provide all the necessary light, heat, and UVA/UVB in one bulb...AND they're guaranteed against defects for a full year!)

 

Carefully measure the ambient temperature in the basking area and the non-basking area with a digital thermometer. The ambient temperature in its enclosure should be between 78 - 85° F during the day, with a basking area at 85 - 89° F. At night, the temperature should drop no lower than 70° F. If your house routinely gets colder than about 70 degrees, supplement the heat with a ceramic heat emitter. Avoid heat rocks--they have no thermostat controls, so they can burn a tortoise's belly. Also you should avoid using heating pads, because like most reptiles, tortoises do not have a lot of nerve endings on their plastrons (stomachs), and can overheat without realizing it. This can be fatal.

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Habitat - For Adults

If you live in southern regions that are typically warm, and can provide a safe area outside where your tortoise can bask without fear of hawks, raccoons, or other predators, set up an outdoor pen where it can graze on fresh grass during the daytime. Be sure to bring it inside at night, and when the weather turns chilly, for its own safety.

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Design an enclosure that allows your Sulcata enough room to exercise, at least 12' square, with a 6' square grazing area and the other 6' square for basking. Make sure to sink your fencing at least two feet underground. These tortoises like to dig.

 

Sulcatas will dig burrows where they can rest in safe comfort during the day. Unlike gopher tortoises, these burrows will only have one entry/exit hole--unless there is a cave-in somewhere along its tunnel. If this happens, the Sulcata will dig a new exit hole to escape. To make sure your tortoise doesn't dig out of your yard, build a cage-inside-a-cage; that is, build your 12' square enclosure in the center of your fenced yard, and leave a wide safety margin between it and your fence (pictured below). That way, if your tortoise digs out of the inner enclosure, it will still be safely enclosed in your yard.

 

If an outdoor enclosure is not an option, set aside a large area (preferably at least 10’ x 10’) in your home. A spare bedroom works very well for this. Lay down plastic sheeting to protect the floor or carpet, then layer the area thickly with a safe substrate such as coconut bark or cypress mulch. These two barks are very low-resin, so they will not injure your tortoise. Also, since they’re “wet-water” trees, they will absorb water without turning moldy.

 

Provide your tortoise with a spacious enclosed box where it can hide and feel secure. Many breeders install ceramic heat emitters inside the box to keep it warm at night, and on cool days.

 

Sulcatas like to soak at least twice a week, so you may want to bury a kiddie pool in your yard, and build a ramp for it to climb down and splash around in at its leisure.

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Since the Sulcata comes from a desert region, it requires a dry, arid enclosure. Be sure to provide your tortoise with a sufficiently large hiding box where it can hide from the bright sun, especially if no burrowing is possible.

Diet

Sulcatas are grazers. They need high-fiber, low-protein food such as mixed grasses, orchard hay, timothy hay, hibiscus leaves and flowers, clover, prickly pear pads, dandelion greens and flowers, Dutch clover, rose leaves and petals, and sow thistle. Dark leafy greens such as mustard, turnip, and collard leaves can be substituted when natural grasses and leaves are not available, but should only comprise about 15-20% of their diet. Mulberry and grape leaves should be fed in limited quantities. Avoid animal protein and lettuce entirely, and feed fresh fruits sparingly.

 

http://www.sulcatafood.com is an excellent source for African grass seed, which is the healthiest possible food for Sulcatas.

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Sulcatas live for many years, can learn to recognize their names, and can be trained to come when they're called. Often nicknamed "heirloom pets," these intelligent tortoises can provide a lifetime of pleasure for you and your entire family.​

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